Al Green vows to force Trump impeachment vote before Christmas

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, said Wednesday he hopes to force a House vote to impeach President Trump before Christmas.

Green introduced articles of impeachment against Trump last month, and said the president has become the “chief inciter of racism, bigotry, hatred, xenophobia, sexism, ethnocentrism.” But the Texas Democrat said he wanted to wait until Christmas to vote on Trump’s impeachment because he believes “there is a need for the public to weigh in.”

“The momentum is building, Mr. Speaker. The momentum is building. More people favor impeachment than not. Momentum is building,” he said during a speech on the House floor Wednesday. “People should weigh in. They should let others know how they feel about impeachment. They should let others know how they feel about the chief inciter of all of these ugly actions by way of persons responding to the chief inciter.”

Green said he has been warned of the “political consequences” of pushing for a vote on the House floor to impeach Trump, but said he is not deterred by the ramifications of doing so.

“I accept the consequences because I was not born in Congress. I wasn’t born to be a congressman,” he said. “I’m a child of God, and I refuse to come to Congress and acquiesce to bigotry and hatred.”

Green has said previously he hopes to introduce his articles of impeachment as a privileged resolution that would demand an immediate vote. If it qualifies, Republicans are expected to move immediately to table the resolution, or set it aside, and the GOP is expected to succeed.

Such a vote could play into Republicans' hands even more, since a vote to table the resolution could prompt some Democrats to vote with Republicans. Democratic leaders have said they don't support a move to impeach Trump at this time.

Green said he understands if his fellow members vote to table his articles of impeachment, send them to committee, or outright support or reject them. But Green vowed to force some kind of vote related to Trump's impeachment.

“Let others do what they may,” he said. “History will judge us all, and I pray, I pray, Mr. Speaker, that this country will continue to reject what the inciter-in-chief, Donald J. Trump, has been causing this country to have to endure.”

The articles of impeachment Green introduced last month accuse Trump of inciting “white supremacy, sexism, bigotry, hatred, xenophobia, race-baiting and racism” that fuels an “alt-right hate machine and its worldwide covert sympathizers.” The president’s actions, he alleged, are “causing immediate injury to the American society.”